The purpose of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of Singaporean young working women’s lived experiences of Parental Emotional Invalidation (PEI) at home. The first of its kind study explored how the phenomenon presented itself through the thoughts, feelings, and actions of these young women. The research design of the study was guided by the phenomenological approach. Eight participants were selected via maximal variation purposive sampling. Data was collected via three methods: semi-structured interviews, artefact collection, and participant diaries. The Interpretative Phenomenological Approach was used to identify themes that emerged from the data.

The findings not only provided rich descriptive data on the phenomenon, but also detailed interpretative insights on how these young women made sense of their lived experiences. Five main themes emerged from the data: “Validating the experience of PEI”, “Intergenerational culture dissonance: The generation gap, “Experiencing basic & complex emotions: Sad, mad and scared”, “Not feeling respected as an adult” and “Types of PEI coping mechanisms”.

The study’s findings highlight the significance of open emotional communication in parent-adult child relationships, as well as the importance of validating an adult child’s emotions during difficult conversations or conflicts. The cultural context of Singapore was also explored extensively and its influence on participants’ sense-making of their experience was discussed. Lastly, the study also discussed the implication of its findings for future research, relevance for clinical practice in the domain of counselling, as well as suggestions for policymaking to improve the well-being of co-resident families in Asia.

Authors:
Gwendolyn Peh, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore

About the Presenter(s)
Ms Gwendolyn Peh is a University Postgraduate Student at Singapore University of Social Sciences in Singapore

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

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